CERVICAL CANCER SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Cervical cancer is a disease caused by the abnormal growth and division of cells that are part of the cervix is the narrow base of the uterus (womb).

 signs and symptoms:

• The early stages of cervical cancer can be completely asymptomatic.Vaginal bleeding, contact bleeding or (rarely) a vaginal mass, the presence of a malignancy are listed. Also, moderate pain during intercourse and vaginal discharge are symptoms of cervical cancer. In advanced disease, metastases may be present in the abdomen, lungs or elsewhere.

Symptoms of advanced cervical cancer may include loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue, pelvic pain, back pain, leg pain, a swollen leg, heavy bleeding from the vagina, leaking of urine or feces from the vagina. 


NUTRIENTS:


FRUITS AND VEGETABLES:

• Higher levels of vegetable consumption were associated with a 54% decrease risk of HPV persistence

Vitamin A

• There is weak evidence to suggest a significant deficiency of retinol can increase chances of cervical dysplasia, irrespective of HPV infection. Subjects in the lowest quartile serum retinol are at increased risk of CIN I compared with women in the highest quartile.

• However, the study population, low total serum retinol, suggesting deficiency. A study of serum retinol in well-nourished population shows that the bottom 20% serum retinol close to that of the highest levels in New Mexico this sub-population.

Vitamin C
The risk of type-specific, persistent HPV infection was lower among women reporting intake values ​​of vitamin C in the upper quartile compared with those reporting intake in the lowest quartile.
Vitamin E

• HPV clearance time was significantly shorter in women with the highest compared with the lowest serum levels of tocopherols, but significant trends in these associations were limited to infections lasting </ = 120 days. Clearance of persistent HPV infection (duration> 120 days) was not significantly associated with blood levels of tocopherols. The results of this study support an association of micronutrients with the rapid clearance of incident oncogenic HPV infection of the cervix.

• A statistically significantly lower levels of alpha-tocopherol was observed in the blood serum of HPV-positive patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. The risk of dysplasia was four times higher for a alpha-tocopherol level <7.95 mumol /.

Folic acid
Higher folate status was inversely associated with becoming HPV test-positive. Women with higher folate status were significantly less likely to repeat HPV test positive and more likely to test negative. Studies have shown that lower levels of antioxidants together with low levels of folic acid increases the risk of developing CIN. Improving folate status in patients at risk of getting infected or already infected with high-risk HPV may have a beneficial effect in preventing cervical cancer.
 
Carotenoids
The probability of clearing an oncogenic HPV infection was significantly greater with higher levels of lycopene.  A 56% reduction in HPV persistence risk was observed in women with the highest plasma [lycopene] concentrations compared with women with the lowest plasma lycopene concentrations. These data suggest that vegetable consumption and circulating lycopene may protect against HPV persistence.


Family history of cervical cancer:

Cervical cancer may run in families. If a woman's mother or sister had cervical cancer, her chances of developing the disease are 2-3 times higher than if there was no one in the family. Some researchers suspect this familial tendency is caused by an inherited condition that makes some women less able to fight off HPV infection than others.

SMOKING:
 

• Women who is smoke are about twice as likely as nonsmokers to get cervical cancer. Smoking exposes the body to many cancer-causing substances that organs other than the lung damage. These harmful substances are absorbed through the lungs into the bloodstream and carried throughout the body. Tobacco products are found in the cervical mucus of women who smoke. Researchers believe these substances damage the DNA of cervical cells, contributing to the development of cervical cancer. Smoking also makes it less effective immune system to fight HPV infection.

Oral contraceptives (the pill) There is evidence that taking oral contraceptives (OCs) for a long time the risk of cancer of the cervix increases. Many studies show that the risk of cervical cancer rises the longer a woman takes oral contraceptives, but the risk goes back down after oral contraceptives are stopped. In a recent study, the risk of cervical cancer doubled in women who took the pill for more than five years, but the risk returns to normal 10 years after they were stopped. Using this very low risk outweighed potential. A woman with multiple sexual partners should use condoms to her risk for sexually transmitted infections, any other form of contraception they are lower.